Methods for the alleviation or treatment of arthritic disease

ABSTRACT

The invention provides pharmaceutical compositions for the alleviation of arthritic diseases. These contain as active ingredient mycobacteria or fractions of these, e.g. obtained by fractionation in certain solvents. The compositions can also be used for vaccinations. There is also provided an assay for the diagnosis of arthritic diseases, and a kit for carrying such an assay.

The invention relates to preparations for preventing various arthritic afflictions, for alleviating symptoms of arthritic diseases and of other autoimmune diseases, and for their diagnosis.

The novel preparations are based on certain mycobacteria or on certain fractions obtained from mycobacteria. There were also developed certain clones of T-lymphocytes which can be used for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Millions of persons are afflicted with chronic forms of arthritis which are thought to involve autoimmunity to constituents of the joints or connecting tissues of the body. These conditions include rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, Reiter's syndrome and other forms of reactive arthritis. The etiology of these diseases is not known, but previous infection with various microbes seems to act as an inciting circumstance in genetically susceptible individuals. For example, patients with rheumatoid arthritis may show unusual immune reactivity to mycobacterial antigens and immunization with the BCG strain of mycobacteria was found to lead to arthritis in 15 of 150 individuals. Ankylosing spondylitis has been associated with infection by Klebsiella or Yersinia species of bacteria and other cases of arthritis by Salmonella, Snigella, etc. There is no evidence of active infection of joints by these microbes in the vast majority of cases and it has been postulated that microbial infection may trigger an aberrant, autoimmune response of the individual against his own antigens present in the joints.

Adjuvant arthritis (AA) is an experimental model of arthritis inducible by immunizing susceptible strains of rats to Mycobacteria. The disease which develops about 12 days after immunization has many of the features of rheumatiod arthritis and AA has been considered to be a model of rheumatoid arthritis.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

There are provided pharmaceutical preparations for the diagnosis, for the vaccination against, and for the treatment of various autoimmune diseases and especially of arthritic conditions. There exists a family of chronic arthritic conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis or Reiter's syndrome which are thought to arise from autoimmune processes in which the joints and other tissues are damaged by the immune system of the patient.

The triggering factors are unknown but it is believed that the infection with certain microbial agents may be important.

Adjuvant arthritis is considered to be an experimental model of autoimmune arthritis inducible in strains of rats by immunizing them to mycobacterial antigens.

According to the present invention there are provided pharmaceutical preparations based on certain mycobacteria and on fractions derived from such mycobacteria.

We have found that various types of mycobacteria, such as Mycobacteria H-37 RA, M. kansasii, M. vaccae, and similar strains may be used as such or fractionated by the use of certain solvents to give a precipitate and a water soluble fraction, which latter is suitable for various vaccinations and curative purposes.

Mycobacteria H-37 can be fractionated by the use of an aqueous solution of acetone (66% acetone in water). There is obtained a precipitate (AP) fraction and an acetone soluble (AS) fraction.

The immune response to the AS fraction leads to resistance to adjuvant arthritis; clones of lymphocytes that respond to AS, upon inoculation into naive rats, protect these against subsequent induction of adjuvant arthritis. Inoculation of such clones of lymphocytes into rats suffering from adjuvant arthritis markedly hastens their recovery from the arthritis.

It has been found that clones of T-lymphocytes which cause adjuvant arthritis respond (proliferate) to the AP fraction, but not to the AS fraction.

The SP and the AS fractions are immunologically cross-reactive with proteoglycans of normal joint cartilage, and therefore adjuvant arthritis can be explained as a noxious autoimmune response to AP cross-reactive antigens of proteoglycans. Protection against adjuvant arthritis can be associated with a protective, or disease suppressive response to the AS cross-reactive antigens of proteoglycans.

Diagnostic tests for autoimmune arthritis and similar autoimmune diseases can be based on the different immune reactivity of the tested persons to be AS and the AP fractions of mycobacteria and other bacteria associated with arthritis, or to the AS and AP cross-reactive antigens of proteoglycans. Immunization of patients to AS fractions of mycobacteria and other bacteria associated with arthritic conditions, or to AS cross-reactive antigens or proteoglycans can be used for the prevention of autoimmune arthritis and for the treatment of arthritic diseases.

It has been discovered that certain lines and clones of T-lymphocytes selected for their reactivity to mycobacteria can be used for producing arthritis upon inoculation into irradiated rats.

One line, designated as A2 was found to induce arthritis upon intravenous injection into irradiated rats. The same line, A2 is effective in vaccinating unirradiated rats against subsequent AA induced by active immunization to Mycobacteria.

Cell line A2 has been cloned and there were obtained two distinct clones, designated as A2b and A2c, respectively. A2b causes arthritis but does not vaccinate against it; clone A2c does not cause arthritis but vaccinates against it (see Table 1).

In addition to preventing arthritis, clone A2 can be used to treat AA. FIG. 1 shows the result of an experiment in which rats suffering from AA were inoculated twice (on days 16 and 17 after the induction of disease) with clone A2c, or with a central, irrelevant clone of T-lymphocyte. The rats inoculated with clone A2c went into rapid remission. Six months later the A2c treated rats had normal joints while the control rats had ankylosis and deformities of the paws.

Thus, clones A2b and A2c can be used to identify antigens associated with arthritogenicity or with suppression of arthritogenicity. Both clones respond to whole mycobacteria.

Clone A2b responds to the AP fraction but not to the AS fraction defined above; protective clone A2c responds to AS and only slightly tp AP. Both A2b and A2c respond to cartilage proteoglycan, see Table 2.

Results presented in Table 3 demonstrate that anti-AP and anti-AS antisera recognize cross-reactive antigens in cartilage. AP and AS induce different classes of antibodies, IgG and IgM, respectively, which indicates that these fractions induce functionally different responses. IgG is associated with AP and arthritogenicity while IgM is associated with AS and suppression of arthritogenicity.

Rats were immunized with Mycobacteria, with water, and with AS in oil, see Table 4. The mycobacteria inocculated rats developed AA as expected, while the water and AS inoculated rats did not. After 35 days the rats were challenged with mycobacteria in oil to induce active AA. Rats that had suffered primary AA were resistant to a second bout; those inoculated with water only were susceptible to AA, whereas the AS inoculated rats were totally resistant to AA. Thus, the As fraction is arthritis suppressive, while not being arthritogenic. Moreover, AS can be used to activate cells of the A2 line to provide treatment of AA after its onset. (FIG. 2). The effective dosage varies, it is generally about 1 to 20 mg/kg, preferably about 2 to 10 mg/kg. This demonstrates that when AA was induced in rats by Mycobacteria, after 16 days, when arthritis had developed, some of the rats were inoculated intravenously with line A2 that had been activated with Mycobacteria or with the As fraction. The Mycobacteria treated A2 cells arrested the arthritis, while the AS treated A2 cells induced a full remission of the disease.

Table 5 demonstrates the proliferative responses of peripheral blood mononuclear cells of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients and controls, to mycobacterial antigens.

Several different species of mycobacteria were tested as to whether clones A2b and A2c recognized their differences. One of these, mycobacteria, M. vaccae was recognized in an in vitro proliferation test by the protective clone A2c but not by the arthritogenic clone A2b (Table 6). This finding indicated that M. vaccae was relatively rich in protective antigens and poor in arthritogenic antigens. Accordingly tests were carried out to evaluate the effect of M. vaccae on adjuvant arthritis (Table 7). The strain of M. vaccae used was that deposited at the National Collection of Type Cultures (NCTC) Central Public Health Laboratory, Colindale Avenue, London NW9 5HT on Feb. 13th 1984 under the number NCIC 11659. In the first experiments, rats were inoculated with M. vaccae and then a week later adjuvant arthritis was induced by immunizing the rats with M. tuberculosis. It was found that prior inoculation with M. vaccae prevented the development of arthritis. Thus M. vaccae is effective as a prophylactic vaccine against adjuvant arthritis.

In the second series of experiments, adjuvant arthritis was first induced by immunization with M. tuberculosis and 3 weeks later, when all the rats were suffering from arthritis, some rats were inoculated with M. vaccae in oil, or with oil alone. Those receiving M. vaccae in oil had a remission in arthritis in several days while the control group of rats continued to suffer from severe arthritis (FIG. 3).

We have evidence that rheumatoid arthritis patients have T-lymphocytes that respond to the arthritogenic fraction of M. tuberculosis (Table 5), indicating that similar immunologic processes may occur in both adjuvant arthritis in rheumatoid arthritis.

According to the invention there are also provided compositions for the diagnosis of arthritic diseases and an assay for this purpose, based on the use of while mycobacteria or on the use of certain fractions thereof, obtained by the separation of mycobacteria. Such separation can be effected in a suitable solvent system, whereby there is obtained a soluble fraction and an insoluble one (precipitate). Each of these can be further fractionated and purified, until specifically active substances are obtained. Such fractions can be used for various types of assays for the above purpose, such as:

a 1. a lymphocyte proliferation test, or determination of any entity indicative of such proliferation;

a 2. indicative of the measure of lymphocyte activation are also changes which can be assayed by standard means so as to establish the presence and degree of lymphocyte activation: amongst these there may be mentioned:

a. production of lymphokines (such as interieukin-2 (1L-2);

b. gamma interferon;

c. migration inhibition factor (MIF);

d. expression of membrane markers, such as 1L-2 receptor; peanut agglutination receptor.

e. expression of enzymes such as heparanase;

b. determination of antibody titer in absolute terms or as a ratio of the values obtained by different fractions, said values or ratios being indicative of the presence or absence of the disease. Quantitative values obtained are of use in establishing the severity of the disease.

For carrying out such assays, there can be provided means in kit form, comprising one or more of the above defined fractions with suitable adjuvants and auxiliary components. Standardized kits with reference and calibration means are of value in the rapid and convenient determination of arthritic disease and its stage and/or severity.

LEGEND TO THE FIGURES

FIG. 1: Treatment of Adjuvant Arthritis (AA) Using Clone A2c:

AA was induced in Lewis strain rats by inoculation of MT. Sixteen and seventeen days later groups of 10 rats each were injected intraperitoneally with 2×10⁷ cells of clone A2c (open circles) or central clone Cl a (closed circles). The rats were observed for the severity of arthritis on a clinical scale of 1 to 16. Upon examination 6 months later, recipients of clone A2c were free of disease while recipients of Cl a had severe ankylosis of the paws.

FIG. 2: Treatment of Adjuvant Arthritis by Injection of A2 Line Cells:

Adjuvant arthritis was induced in 30 Lewis rats by active immunization with complete Freund's adjuvant on day 0. On day 16, after arthritis had developed in all rats, they were divided into three groups. A control groups of 10 rats (solid circles) was not treated. A second group of 10 rats was treated by a single intravenous inoculation of 2×10⁷ A2 line cells that had been activated using whole mycobacterial organisms (o). The third group of 10 rats was inoculated with A2 line cells that had been activated with the AS fraction (triangles). Severity of arthritis was assessed on a clinical scale of 1 to 16.

FIG. 3: Treatment of Adjuvant Arthritis by Injection of M. vaccae Cells

AA was induced in Lewis strain rats by immunization with M. tuberculosis and 2 and 4 weeks later, when all the rats were suffering from arthritis, some rats were inoculated with M. vaccae (1 mg.) in oil (in complete Freund's adjuvant) (open circles) or with the oil alone (solid circles). Severity of arthritis was assessed on a clinical scale of 1 to 16.

                                      TABLE 1                                      __________________________________________________________________________     Production and/or prevention of adjuvant arthritis (AA) by                     T-lymphocyte line A2 and clones A2b and A2c                                                                AA induced by MT 35 days after line transfer       T-lymphocytes                                                                             Recipient rats                                                                          Line-mediated                                                                          % Incidence                                                                           Mean day       Clinical                     transferred (2 × 10.sup.7)                                                          irradiated (750R)                                                                       arthritis                                                                              (no. rats)                                                                            of onset                                                                              Duration (days)                                                                        Arthritis                    __________________________________________________________________________     None       No       No      89 (76)                                                                               12.9   56      Severe                                  Yes      No      81 (42)                                                                               13.6   55      Severe                       A2         No       No       0 (69)                                                                               --     --      None                                    Yes      Yes      0 (38)                                                                               --     --      None                         A2b        No       No      91 (22)                                                                               13.7   53      Severe                                  Yes      Yes     93 (14)                                                                               13.9   54      Severe                       A2c        No       No       0 (15)                                                                               --     --      None                                    Yes      No       0 (15)                                                                               --     --      None                         __________________________________________________________________________      Irradiated (750R) or nonirradiated Lewis rats were injected intravenously      with 2 × 10.sup.7 cells of line A2 or cloned sublines A2b or A2c10.      35 days later active AA was induced by an intradermal injection of killed      Mycobacterium tuberculo sii organisms in oil (MT). Control groups              consisting of irradiated or nonirradiated rats were injected with MT 35        days after irradiation.                                                  

                  TABLE 2                                                          ______________________________________                                         Responses of clones A2b and A2c to antigens                                               Response to antigens                                                                 Whole                Cartilage                                Clone In vivo effect                                                                            mycobacteria                                                                              AP   AS   proteoglycan                             ______________________________________                                         A2b   arthritogenic                                                                             +          +    -    +                                        A2c   protective,                                                                               +          ± +    +                                              therapeutic                                                              ______________________________________                                    

                  TABLE 3                                                          ______________________________________                                         Rabbit antibodies to AP or AS recognize joint cartilage                        Rabbit  Immunofluorescent staining                                                                       Inhibition of staining                               antiserum                                                                              of joint cartilage                                                                               with proteoglycan                                    ______________________________________                                         normal  none              --                                                   anti-AP IgG               Yes                                                  anti-AS IgM               Yes                                                  ______________________________________                                    

                  TABLE 4                                                          ______________________________________                                         Active Immunization to AS Protects Rats against AA                             Primary Immunization                                                                              Secondary challenge with                                    Inoculum in oil                                                                           % incidence of                                                                             mycobacteria in oil (MT)                                1 mg       arthritis   % incidence of arthritis                                ______________________________________                                         Mycobacteria                                                                              100         0                                                       Water      0           100                                                     AS         0           0                                                       ______________________________________                                    

                  TABLE 5                                                          ______________________________________                                         Proliferative responses of peripheral blood mononuclear cells of               rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients and                                         controls to mycobacterial antigens                                                         Mean stimulation                                                                            Significant                                                                               Ratio of                                   No. of      index        response to*                                                                              responses                                  Group  patients PPD    AP   AS   AP    AS   AP:AS                              ______________________________________                                         RA     17       18.4   13.6 1.2  14/17 0/17 11                                 Osteo- 12       15.0   5.6  7.0   7/12 8/12 0.8                                arthritis                                                                      Normal  8       13.2   3.9  4.9  4/8   5/8  0.8                                controls                                                                       ______________________________________                                          *Stimulation index >2.0                                                  

                  TABLE 6                                                          ______________________________________                                         Therapeutic clone A2c recognizes M. vaccae,                                    arthritogenic clone A2b does not.                                              In vitro proliferation response                                                (H.sup.3 --thymidine incorporation, cpm × 10.sup.-3)                     Clone  No antigen    M. tuberculosis                                                                            M. vaccae                                     ______________________________________                                         A2b    2 ± 1       6 ± 5    4 ± 1                                     A2c    1 ± 1      62 ± 6   60 ± 9                                     ______________________________________                                          Clones A2b and A2c were assayed for their in vitro proliferative response      to M. tuberculosis or M. vaccae organisms in a standard test (2.5 ×      10.sup.4 clone cells, 2 × 10.sup.6 irradiated accessory cells and 2      ug of mycobact eria extract per well, H.sup.3 --thymidine incorporation        for 18 h, after 24 h of incubation). Results are expressed as cpm.       

                  TABLE 7                                                          ______________________________________                                         Treatment with M. vaccae induces resistance to adjuvant arthritis.                          Arthritis induced by                                                           M. tuberculosis 3 months later                                    Treatment      Incidence                                                                               Clinical grade                                         ______________________________________                                         Oil (control)  100%     Severe                                                 M. vaccae in oil                                                                               0%      0                                                      ______________________________________                                          Groups of 13 Lewis rats were treated by intracutaneous inoculation of M.       vaccae (1 mg) in oil (incomplete Freund's adjuvant) or by oil alone            (control). Three months later, susceptibility to induction of adjuvant         arthritis was tested by inocula ting the rate with M. tuberculosis (1 mg)      in oil.                                                                   

We claim:
 1. A method for the alleviation or treatment of arthritic disease which comprises administering to a patient suffering therefrom an effective amount of a composition comprising, as the active ingredient, a mycobacterium or a fraction thereof.
 2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the mycobacterium is M. vaccae.
 3. A method according to claim 1 wherein a dose of from about 2 mg to about 10 mg/kg weight of the patient is administered to the patient by injection.
 4. A method according to claim 2 wherein the fraction is one obtained by fractionation of such mycobacteria in a suitable solvent system, and separating therefrom a soluble fraction used as the active component.
 5. A method according to claim 4, wherein the solvent system for fractionation is an acetone/water mixture.
 6. A method according to claim 5, wherein the solvent system used for fractionation is an acetone/water mixture of about 2/1 by volume. 